Cancer is Just a Word, Not a Death Sentence

“It all started as a small lump”, she said, “it was painless and so I assumed it to be a normal thing. But gradually its size increased day in day out, I had to do something about it.” She added

Annie went to see a doctor a few months after she noticed the lump, a number of tests were done on her and that was when the doctors unveiled the bitter truth about her condition. It wasn’t just any normal breast lumps, Annie had breast cancer. This was the saddest news that she had ever received in her life, who would be calm on receiving such news?

What comes to your mind at the mention of the word cancer, death, right? But getting to go through and experience the situation with Annie, I realized that cancer is real and curable if it’s detected in its early stage.

Elites say it’s far much worse than HIV and Malaria, we all know cancer isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. But there’s hope and life beyond cancer.

Even so, there are a lot of myths surrounding the cure of cancer. In one of the cancer awareness campaigns I attended last year, I met Doctor Eva a breast cancer survivor who debunked the myth that there’s a herbal cure for cancer.

“There is no herbal treatment of cancer, the medicine boosts immunity which suppresses cancer cells though it is still there. It’s best to visit health facilities for quality services” said Doctor Eva

She added that breast cancer does not only occur in a female, cancer doesn’t discriminate, and it doesn’t matter what age or race you are.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer across the world and the second leading cause of cancer deaths.

According to WHO, cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with approximately 14 million new cases in the last few three years.

“Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and is responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015. Globally, one in six deaths is due to cancer”, noted the report.

The WHO report notes the risk factors for cancer as tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity which are the most common risk factors for the non-communicable diseases.

Cancer risks can be avoided and reduced by avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol intake, limiting UV ray exposure from the sun and tanning beds. In addition, maintaining a healthy diet, level of fitness and seeking regular medical care. Screening can locate cervical, colon, and breast cancer at its early stage.

“Cancer has been reported as the third highest cause of illness in Kenya and the worrying situation needs to be reversed by de-banking the myths surrounding cancer and increasing awareness on the importance of early detection of cancer,” said Doctor Eva.

This month(1st October to 31st October) being the breast cancer awareness month, you are encouraged to visit health facilities for various cancer tests also you are encouraged to visit health facilities once a year to do cancer tests for any earlier detection of the cancer cells; early detection of cancer is curable.